NASMOTO Bikes

What Bike Should I Buy/Build?

If you’re after a supermotard but don’t have very much money then an already converted two-stroke motocross bike is probably the best way to go. The one thing to remember about the ex-motocross bikes, though, is that their engines are very high maintenance. Although the engine in ‘motard guise won’t be abused to the extent it would’ve been in its original environment, you’ll still need to replace the piston rings regularly.

Okay, not to the same extent as our motocross cousins have to (a Honda CR500, for example, is supposed to have a new spark plug every 7.5 hours of racing, the cylinder head cleaned after the same amount of time … which is convenient as the piston and rings should be changed at the same time, too), but if you want your bike to remain in absolute tip-top condition then you better be either very rich, sponsored or a pretty good mechanic. Oh, and if you’re racing your two-stroke then you must use fully synthetic racing two-stroke oil (not the cheaper fully synthetic two-stroke oil for road bikes), the prices for which start at $12.00 a litre.

If you’ve got a little more money, or you’re not the world’s greatest mechanic, then you really want a four-stroke bike. In my personal opinion four-stroke ‘motards are also a lot easier for a supermotard novice to ride and race - especially if that novice has little or no off-road experience.

If you fancy building your own bike then the Honda XR650 or the CRF is very possibly the most common four-stroke choice for ‘motard conversion (there’s certainly quite a lot of them raced in the US, and raced very competitively, too), although Yamaha’s YZ426F & WR450F bikes are also rapidly gaining in popularity.

Then there’s the exotica - The Husky NOX is simply gorgeous, as are VOR’s pant-wettingly superb 450/500 SM and Supermotard R Competition machines. There’s also Husaberg’s FS 400e, FS 650e, FS 400c, FS 650c, Gas Gas’ SM125, SM250 and FSE 400 and the slightly unusual looking Vertemati S 501 (kick-start) and SE 501. Learners aren’t left out, either, although these bikes will all need restricting for UK learner use; Husqvarna’s SM125, and Derbi’s Supermotard 50cc.

What’s The Cheapest Way To Tune My ‘Motard?

The cheapest way to get more out of your bike is the age old solution of throwing your road legal can away and fitting a race one instead; get the carb re-jetted (using either a Dynojet or factory kit), fit a K+N air filter (especially if you own a CCM as the factory filters have no central core to stop the filter deforming at higher RPM and getting sucked towards the carb mouth thus decreasing the air flow when your engine needs it most) and then get the whole thing professionally set-up by a competent mechanic on a dyno. The gains won’t be huge, but they will be noticeable - and your bike will sound incredible, too.

What Tires Should I Fit For Racing?

Unsurprisingly they recommend Michelin tires which, coincidently, are what most UK racers also use. But that’s not really what the question means. Rather than which manufacturer to buy, the question relates to what type of tire you should use for a given track and/or weather condition.

Road Condition	Recommendation
100% dry track, no off road section	slick front and rear
Damp track, no off-road section	Cut front, slick or cut slick rear
Wet track, no off-road section	Racing wet front and rear
100% dry track, off-road section	Cut slick or wet front, cut slick rear
Damp track, off-road section	Cut slick or wet front, cut slick rear
Wet track, off-road section	Racing wet front and rear

Just remember that a racing wet tire is not designed to be used on a dry track and, therefore, may not even last a single day’s racing. If you’ve got a spare set of wheels then that will help. Or if you have a set of tire levers then you can choose what tires to run during the day.

As for the actual tyres themselves - slicks come in three basic flavours: soft, medium and hard. Deciding which type to go for will depend on your riding style, bike and, to a lesser extent, the track itself. Only time and experience can tell you which one will suit you the best.

What Tire Pressures Should I Use?

Although there are no rules etched in stone for this question, the general consensus is that 25-26psi is the optimum pressure for both two-stroke and factory ‘motards alike.

Will A Standard Factory ‘Motard Be Competitive?

The simple answer is - Yes. Unlike most motorsports, being competitive in supermotard racing is more about riding talent than ‘who has the most money wins’. Obviously, a knackered old heap, even with a great racer sat on it, will struggle but if your bike’s well maintained and has a healthy engine then where you finish in a race will have just as much to do with your talent as anything else.

There is one thing you should remember before you even consider racing, though - racing is a lot more stressful than road riding for your engine which means you’ll need to pamper your bike far more than you do your ’significant other’. And that means, even though you’ve just bought a perfect bike you’re still going to have to spend money on it to keep it that way. Even though supermotard racing’s probably the cheapest racing around, that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. And one more thing - racing’s dangerous. You may walk away from a huge crash yet spend half a year recovering from a simple drop, it’s all down to luck, but losing your job because of a racing crash, no matter how small, will hurt far more than the accident itself. Obviously, if you also ride on the road then you’re probably more at risk of a serious injury than you are on the track, but it’s still worth remembering, just in case. In fact, if you signed an employment contract for your job, you may find hidden in the small print that your employer can sack you if you go racing in the first place.

What Road Tires Suit ‘Motards?

At the moment the choice of tire for your supermoto is fairly limited - unless you’re one of those lucky people who doesn’t ride in the wet, the cold or on slippery, greasy winter roads as you can, therefore, use ‘ZR’ rated tyres without having to worry too much about getting them up to operating temperature … unlike the rest of us. As this list is aimed at riders who need tyres that will work in all weather conditions, the following list of tyres are all ‘H’ rated, except for the Pirelli MT60 R, the Michelin Macadam M50E and the Avon AV37/38 which are all ‘V’ rated.

Manufacturer	Tire Type	Available Profile
Avon	AV37/38 - Road	160 profile only(’V’ rated)
Bridgestone	Battlax BT96 Supersport Racing	150 & 160 profiles available
Bridgestone	Battlax BT92 Sports Mileage	150 & 160 profiles available
Continental	none	Touring tires only
Metzeler	MEZ-1 Radial	MEZ-1 Radial
Metzeler	MEZ-1 Racing Radial	150 & 160 profiles available
Pirelli	MT60	160 profile only (’V’ rated)
Pirelli	Dragon MTR02	150 & 160 profiles available
Michelin	Macadam M50E	150 profile only
Michelin	Macadam M50E	150 & 160 profiles available (’V’ rated)
Dunlop	GPR 70 R	150 profile only